Liverpool legend Tommy Smith believes Liverpool lack invention and don’t currently have a creative edge in midfield. Reflecting on the Reds 1-0 victory over West Brom, Smith believes Liverpool can’t go on with both Lucas Leiva and Christian Poulsen in the same team and the former Reds defender can’t understand the reasons for playing the Brazilian midfielder in particular. He wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo:
“We never looked comfortable and in control against West Brom and the problem was that we were just too defensive with two holding players in Poulsen and Lucas. I’m not a fan of Lucas – I just don’t see what he brings to the party – but what was obvious was that with Poulsen we had a similar sort of player sitting back there with him. As the game drew on everyone was looking to Fernando Torres to do something special and as usual he delivered with a great strike.”
Smith believes our next opponents Birmingham will be a much greater threat:
“Birmingham look a better side than West Brom and away from home it will be tougher next weekend. But I really hope new midfield signing Raul Meireles makes his debut because we need more invention and bite than we saw at Anfield. I’d push Steven Gerrard right up front with Torres. They gel so well together and understand each other’s moves that I’d pair them up. If we need one midfield player behind them to do some of the donkey work then so be it. But I want to see the Reds being much more adventurous and attack minded – and playing two holding men in the middle stops that happening.”
I disagree with Tommy Smith, although I would also play Lucas as an attacking midfielder as suggested by some posts above.
again Voland, WHY would you play Lucas as an attacking midfielder??
What qualities has he displayed that make you think he should be played in an attacking role to support Torres rather than the likes of Cole, Gerrard, Babel, Pacheco, N’gog etc
The point about Lucas is this….. In his second game for Liverpool he would have scored the winning goal in the merseyside derby if Phil “romania” neville had not handled the ball on the goal-line in the last minute. It was the game when gerrard was taken off with half an hour left and we all wanted to kill rafa at the time!!
Imagine what Lucas’s Liverpool career would have been like if that goal would have gone in?
The lad in my opinion is a squad player who could develop into something better 25 to 30 games this year… tops
But he deserves a bit of luck and to be thought of as the guy who did score the winner in the derby in his second game
P.s I know this sounds terrible but in a way I think kuyt’s injury could be a blessing in disguise for liverpool as we may actually play with genuine wide men… Attack Attack Attack
@Jay Wright…..If you actually watched at the end of last season Lucas got 5 or 6 assists in last 8 games or so…..and would of been a lot more if the likes of Gerrard had his shooting boots on as he laid several perfect through balls to him only for him to shoot miserably wide or straight at the keeper. Lucas has got better and better as time has gone by…..If you actually look at it for the last three seasons he has played second fiddle to Alonso and Mascherano who were first choice so his game time was very limited, it was only last season when Alonso left he got a run of games….and people like you expected him to playing like a fully seasoned pro like Xabi……it can also be noted that bar Alonso’s last season his two previous seasons he was far from playing up to scratch and the reason being why Rafa was tempted to sell him. If you stopped being so short sighted you might actually realise these things rather than spouting out the usual Lucas is crap, what does he do……He was one of the top tacklers last season and one of the top passers(maybe not 50 yard balls but still completed more passes than most players) and he got more assists last season than Xabi did in his whole Liverpool career practically, so when you ask what he brings to the table you might actually look at the whole picture rather than making quick judgements as stated by half arsed comments from unresearched ex-pros and pundits.
Lucas is a very under-rated player. He is a very good all rounder. He can tackle, he can pass, he can run with the ball and he can shoot- obviously the more attacking parts of his game have been somewhat sacrificed to defensive duties at Liverpool. He is tactically disciplined and works his socks off. In pure footballing terms he is A LOT better player than Tommy Smith was and he’s getting better all the time. He is starting to establish himself in the Brazil team. You don’t get selected by Brazil without having something about you. Now obviously it would help the development of this player if people would lay off him- he’s only had one full season as a first team regular. But I suspect that some of the people criticising him on here on actually Mancs.
he cant tackle he loses the ball in dangerous areas he gives away freekicks in dangerous areas posseses no attacking threat when he passes a ball its very rarely forward hes not near good enough to be playin inthe premiership nevermind liverpool it makes me sick the amount of times he makes mistakes for the opposition to go on the attack wake tf up lads anyone but him
Collie – you’re just making stuff up so there’s clearly not much point in responding to you.
At least Simon attempts to say what he actually sees. Although I disagree…
A player with good attacking instincts should be able to pick his spots and choose when to break forwards, even as a defensive midfielder, yet Lucas has very rarely displayed this characteristic – but people say that he is deserving of carrying an attacking responsibility for the team! Spearing manages to get forwards and pose much more of a goal threat than Lucas when playing in the same role, but nobody is calling for him to be our attacking midfielder!
Masch was on all accounts an out and out defensive midfielder, yet even he regularly got himself shooting opportunities (that he squandered), so clearly it must have been tactical limitations on his own part preventing Lucas from doing the same thing, rather than Rafa holding him back and stifling his game.
Lucas rarely shoots or runs with the ball in the final third, so it’s very difficult to claim that he is particularly proficient at either (no more so than the average professional footballer that is)
Finally, IRT his passing, it’s been well documented just how conservative Lucas has been with his passing, which is good for his individual stats but does little to help the team win games. (To his credit though, so far this season he has been playing the early 15-20 yard forward pass with greater frequency, which is a good sign if he is to remain in the first team)
The Liverpool fans who deride Lucas don’t deserve to have a player like Lucas in the squad. His commitment and effort are both unquestionable. His level of performance has improved tangibly every season since his arrival.
Poulsen? How many times has Poulsen put in a shift for LFC. Twice? What were the levels of those performances? Meireles? These players would have to oust Lucas from his position in the first team. Lucas has turned out, as a youth player, over 100 times for LFC and done a more creditable job than any youth player in the club right now and since Gerrard.
If this is how LFC supports it’s football players, then we all deserve a team of Mascheranos.
During the second half of last season (esp Europe) and the whole of this season so far, Lucas has played box to box. Watch the West Brom game. I wish he was slightly more rapid covering ground actually but against West Brom, look at the blocks and defensive work he did inside his own 18 yard box. Look at the attacking play he was involved in at the other end.
I get frustrated by his passing. I think he has the ability to move the ball forward more effectively. Sometimes he hits a ball forward and the movement, the timing is fine, he just needs to put a bit more pace on the ball and expect more from his colleagues first touch. Too many of his passes end up short, for no good reason.
why do some people think lucas is good enough for us,fair enough he was our young player of de year but he hadnt much competition to win that award,his passing is not great ,he fouls a lot especially in de most dangerous of places,he never passes forward only backwards playing safe,thats why we bought meireles and poulsen cos lucas is not good enough for first team,do u think lucas wood be a first team player with united or chelsea or city or arsenal,he will be pushed out of de team now,will probably be gone in january or next summer,dats why we finished 7th last season too many average players on board,dirk kirt is another plus ryan babel
Lucas is consistent? yes … every games he played he got 4/10 …
He can pass? yes … but always pass to back again …
He can dribble? hahahhahhahahha …. u see the wrong lucas
@ Jay Wright…Making stuff up am I…..point out what stuff is made up and I might start to understand your points….you say he poses no attacking threat…yet as I stated and is actual proof, he finished last season with at least 6 assists in his last 8-10 games and would of had more only several easy chances were squandered by the likes of Gerrard…..when Xabi had his cracking last season he finished up with 3 assists and 2 goals…….so tell me where the difference is…..you want an attacking threat….well are assists not an attacking threat…..Lucas can also be awarded with assists generated from gaining penalties…..which he did do and should also of done against Stoke last year when he was denied a stonewall peno…..so if you want to start claiming I make stuff up, I can back it all up with time and dates if you want.
@colie,do u watch every game cos i dont think u do or maybe u feel sorry for him cos people are having a go at him,im a big pool fan and all i want to c is for us to win trophies and be de real pool again,i think lucas babel,are not first team players,meireles was agreat signing and poulsen was a good signing ,those two are far better than lucas will ever be,as i said earlier lucas hadn much competition to win ypoy award.honestly
@redz : Dirk Kuyt has more than 70 caps for the Netherlands. Look at the Netherlands FIFA ranking.
Lucas is average. it doesn’t get any simplier than that. He’s an average player who wouldn’t stand out playing in the Championship. Let’s just be honest here.
At the age of 21 Lucas is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the league. Surely he cant be blamed for being played out of position with managers giving him specific defensive responsibilities. Nonetheless, he is in the top 5 of number of passes made as well as the number of successful tackles!
Lucas works hard and has a good engine he gives the ball away far to cheaply and apart from that wonder goal last season doesn’t offer a great deal. He tries hard bless him and I like him as a character but I struggle to remember a Liverpool Centre Mid with less ability as I don’t think one exists. Not one that has ben given that much time on the pitch anyways. Dia was dodgy and maybe sissoko but not many others come to mind.
I think anyone can pass the ball sideways and boost there stats. Poulsen and Meireles are quite good passers so hopefully we will start winning a few games in style again like when we had Alonso.
I like lucas as a person seems like a nice guy and loves the club but realistically he is not good enough to start even if he plays off the striker he just isn’t strong enough quick enough nor does he have a good shot. Honestly I would prefer to see shelvey or spearing playing instead at least there english and I think just as good if not younger and by the way lucas is 23!!!!!
Just to say i thiink he is more of an Attacking player than a Defensive one – i think him and Babel can be used as replacements for Stevie and Torres / Ngog